José Rizal (1861-1896) was a Filipino physician and writer, an advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. He travelled through Europe, Japan and the United States, but was always involved with his homeland politics and culture. Although he never endorsed violence, he was accused of rebellion, sedition and conspiracy, and was executed near Manila in 1896. He is today considered a national hero of Philippines, where there is even a province named after him.

"El filibusterismo" ("The Filibustering") is a continuation of his first novel, "Noli me tángere", and was published in Ghent in 1891. Thirteen years after leaving the Philippines, Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra returns to his homeland in disguise and as a confidant to the Governor of the Islands. He has now abandoned his idealism, and comes with the ambition of starting a rebellien and seeking revenge against those on whom he blames his misfortunes. As happened in the first novel, in this book the Philippines society of the time (just before the end of the Spanish domination) is painted with sincerity and naivety, but a more acid and disappointed feeling can be noticed in the author, in parallel with the change suffered by the main character. Again, it is sad that most Filipinos today can't read this novel in the original Spanish.

This version is based on the first edition, to which I have added the notes of the English translation by Charles Derbyshire (translated into Spanish). I have also updated the spelling (mostly accents) and punctuation, and added a map of the region where the story develops.

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